


The Kitten's Purr

by The_Shy_One



Series: Kitty, Kitty [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Animal Death, Blood and Injury, Caretaking, Drowning, Eventual Frank/Matt, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kitten, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Veterinary Clinic, shifting pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24631909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Shy_One/pseuds/The_Shy_One
Summary: One night Matt hears the sound of a burlap sack of kittens being taken to the river. Despite taking the bigger forms of crime as Daredevil, he decides to help out the small creatures since it was a slower night in Hell's Kitchen.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page, Matt Murdock & Karen Page
Series: Kitty, Kitty [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795828
Comments: 19
Kudos: 139





	1. A Daring Rescue of Small Proportions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yggdrasson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yggdrasson/gifts).



It was a slower night for Hell’s Kitchen. More muggings than there were any gang organizations and it had Matt feeling kinda itchy after the second mugging. He wanted the fight, something more than a quick takedown that these muggers were providing him in the dead of night. Matt wanted his fist to connect with something and for whoever was on the receiving end to put up a good fight in return.

He perched on top of a building, listening for anything that needed his attention. He sifted through all the various sounds, pushing out any that weren’t relevant to him such as the sound of TVs playing late-night talk shows and people having a night of passion with each other. Tilting his head, Matt had to strain his hearing for the tiny sound of mewling, both distressed and confused off in the distance.

It sounded like it was coming from near the river with the muffled sounds of footsteps getting closer to the water’s edge. While not the part of the description he had as Daredevil - that was more of Spiderman’s repertoire as a vigilante - he would accept anything right now.

It was a slow night in Hell’s Kitchen after all.

He quickly leapt over ledges and ran across roofs, keeping track of the mewling as best as he could. The closer he got, the more he could hear the chorus of distressing sounds by the kittens. By the sounds they were making, they couldn’t have been older than a few weeks. Just learning how to walk, to play, to be somewhat independent. All of that caused him to move faster, wanting to get there in time.

As he reached the edge of the river, Matt heard whoever was holding the sack of kittens, gleefully laughing and heart rate spiking up as he walked down to the docks. There was another man with them, walking at their side in a similar state. The two of them grew gleeful when one of the kittens made a particularly anguishing sound - high and loud as if calling for someone to calm them.

Matt quickly caught up to them, tapping the one man on the shoulder that wasn’t holding the sack. When they turned around, his fist connected to their face, catching on their cheek. They didn’t deserve a punch in the nose, not quite yet. As they stumbled backwards clutching their face, the man holding the sack turned around, swinging as if there weren't small creatures crying out in it.

With a growl, Matt goes after the man with the sack. He tries to make sure that with each movement, the kittens aren’t jostled too much. Their cries grew louder when Matt gives a particularly hard kick to the shins and the sack flung from the man’s grasp. He heard them land on the dock, the jostling and drop causing them to cries out again as the man took to kneeling.

Matt gives a few more kicks to the chest, swift and hard for what they were about to do. He heard the man grow winded as they leaned forward, planting their body onto the dock roughly. Matt made sure to give him a swift kick to the head, disorienting him for the next few minutes as he went to deal with the burlap sack of kittens.

As Matt went to pick it up, the other man dashed towards it, grabbed it and yelled,” Can’t stop both of us, Daredevil!”

He knew there was a smirk on the man’s face from the tone of their voice and the smug aura that radiated off of them as they held the sack in their one hand. They shook it and Matt’s heart dropped when he heard all of the kittens cry out. He moved towards the man and found that they took a step towards the water.

He stopped when they dangled the sack over the water. There was glee in holding the helpless creatures over the water, the man’s heart rate speeding up as he waited to drop it into the river. The two men got off on doing such an act, probably doing it before.

And probably do it again despite getting their asses handed to them by Daredevil.

Matt made the quick decision to go after the man and he heard the rush of air as the sack fell into the river. The splash was deafening as he finally connected his fist with the man’s nose. There was a groan of pain and the smell of blood as they stumbled backwards once more. Then the other man joined despite not being able to connect his punches to Matt’s body due to being hit in the head. 

Matt made sure to make that both men were incapable of moving. There were sounds of bones snapping or cracking from the force of his kicks and punches that he gave to each, making sure they couldn’t effectively team upon him. Finally, both went down after a few blows, their breaths evening out as they passed out against the dock.

Matt didn’t hesitate to jump into the water, diving after the kittens. He frantically searched the bottom, hoping he wasn’t too late. All that effort to make sure they were safe and it would be wasted if he couldn’t find them. It was only a few seconds before his hand came into contact with something that was squirming and he knew that it was the sack of kittens.

He pulled it to his chest and made sure to quickly reach the surface. Then he climbed out onto the dock and opened up the sack. There wasn’t much sound from them, a few whimpers and fading heartbeats which made his heart plummet. As carefully as he could, he pulled out their bodies, hearing as they took their last few breaths.

He was too late, all of them dying because he wasn’t fast enough. That he didn’t dive after them straight away, letting their lungs - small, little lungs that couldn’t hold much air, let alone _water -_ fill with water as he fought off the two men. 

Sure he would probably have fought off the men once he reached the surface, but at least they would have been alive afterwards.

As he was about to hold his head in his hands, he heard the soft and weak mewl come from the sack. Matt quickly moved into action, pulling them out and holding their small and fragile body in his hands. He heard the water that was launched in their lungs, making them desperate for air. They fought against it, trying to live, each breath something precious and worth the fight for in their short life.

Matt held them close to his chest, knowing what he would have to do. He went to the nearest vet clinic, holding the small creature close. They didn’t fight against his hold, only burrowing deeper as if giving all their trust to him to help them. It made his heart wrench being given such trust by a creature who was so weak and helpless.

The closest vet clinic was open with only one technician in the building, there in case of late-night pet emergencies. It was New York City after all, never a moment’s rest even during the late hours of the night. It was what Matt needed and he went in without a second thought. He heard their heartbeat go faster for a few moments - surprised to see Daredevil make an appearance - before seeing that he was holding the kitten out for them.

“Please,” He said, voice low and struggling not to crack. He didn’t want to lose this one, this one deserved a fighting chance at life. “Please help them.”

The technician, similar to Claire, moved into action taking the kitten out of his hands. She asked,” What happened to them?”

“Caught two men trying to drown a sack of kittens by the river.” He said quickly, listening as they examined the kitten’s body. “They’re the only one to survive.”

“Okay, I have to make sure there’s no water in their lungs and if there is I’ll have to suction it out. Would you like to wait out here while I do that, Daredevil?” They said, voice calm despite their heart beating with worry.

But it was the same worry that Claire always had when she fixed his injuries, so Matt nodded. He listened as she moved to the back of the clinic where the equipment was, quickly getting to work to save the kitten. Matt went to sit down in one of the chairs and felt everything come crashing onto him. 

There were other pets here, staying overnight as the smell of them and the cleaning substance reached his nose now that he was so focused on saving the kitten. He heard them briefly waking up, checking on what they were hearing before going back to sleep. He heard the technician talking to the kitten, voice laced with a calm tone and sounding older.

She did her job with care, making sure that the tubing from the machine wasn’t causing too much discomfort to the small creature as she pushed it into their body and down their trachea. They reminded him of Maggie, one of the nuns in the orphanage when she would care for him and the other kids when they were sick. Caring to a point, making sure to give some comfort to the kids as they dealt with sickness or injury.

Matt continued to listen to the procedure as it continued and to the older woman’s voice as she softly spoke to the kitten. They were encouraging words, repeated phrases of _‘doing so good,_ ’ and _‘so brave.’_ as the water was sucked out of their lungs. The kitten didn’t struggle much during that time, tired and been through so much in the half-hour.

Matt knew once the technician pulled the tubing out that it was over, that the kitten wasn’t struggling so much anymore. That it would continue to live. She wrapped them in a towel, making sure they were kept warm while she went to the waiting room to see him. He stood up once she entered, rushing over to her.

“Are they okay?” He asked rushingly, keeping up appearances of a seeing man.

She smiled softly, reaching out with one of her hands to place on his right arm. “They’re fine, doing better than expected. I’ll have to keep them overnight to make sure there aren’t other complications, but they’re certainly a fighter. Are you thinking of keeping it or do you want them to go to a shelter?”

He hadn’t expected her to ask that. Who would ask the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen if they wanted to keep a helpless kitten?

This older woman did, maybe sensing something about him when he handed over the kitten. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed appealing. It would be easier to take care of than a dog, both as a lawyer and Daredevil. From his memory of the cats that roamed the neighbourhood growing up, they were much more independent and weren’t as pushy.

It would also baffle everyone that ever insisted he get a dog due to being blind. 

Just as he was about to reply, she spoke up. “Don’t have to decide now, just let me know tomorrow night. Would you like to see them?”

Matt nodded yes once more and he followed after to the room. Sounds echoed in there, but he pushed past it to hear the tiny kitten purring. It was loud, louder than he expected it and when the technician handed the bundle of towels to him, he felt the vibrations through the fabric.

It caused him to stop, listening to the sound as they continued to purr. With how much they were purring, Matt ‘saw’ the outline of them in his vision of red, the clearest thing he could ‘see’ in the room. With an unexpected sob, he moved the towel to his chest feeling the vibrations of the purrs make their way to his chest. 

He heard the kitten make an inquiring sound but continued to purr as they saw it was him. Matt couldn’t resist the tears that pooled in his eyes, already connected to this small creature. Despite being in a room with a stranger, he felt like there was only him and the kitten as he struggled and failed to keep himself from crying and the kitten continues to purr.

Soon he heard the creature nod off to sleep, still purring somewhat. He looked towards the technician, his decision already made.

“I’ll come by tomorrow to pay and pick them up.”

“I’m glad to hear that Daredevil. The little calico seems to like you.”

“You think so?”

“Nobody picks a cat, the cat picks you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the sweetest dream of Matt Murdock holding a kitten and being in awe that he could see' it due to how much it was purring. Someone pushed me towards the idea of writing such a fic and here we are. 
> 
> I would also like to thank my mom for helping me with how to treat a cat in a vet clinic after experiencing a drowning, she's the best in answering such a random question out of the blue.
> 
> I'm thinking of doing two more chapters concerning Matt taking care of the kitten and something that'll happen that will involve Frank. I'll add tags as I go because I can never expect what will come out of my writing, even in stuff like this.
> 
> Hopefully, it was a fun chapter to read! :D


	2. Early Stages of Caring For a Kitten

The next night, Matt showed up to the vet clinic after a round of patrol - in which it was another slow night for Hell’s Kitchen, he concluded after finding nothing for a few hours after dealing with one attempt at mugging. He waited for the technician to help with a panicked father over a child’s dog and be on his way before stepping into the building. The smell was the same as the night before and this time he had the added benefit of being around with some of the animals awake.

They made a fuss, seeing and smelling a new human coming through their area. The sounds of barking and meows echoed in the room as they were loud and the space was small. Matt having to grit his teeth to not fall onto the floor to cover his ears, trying to keep an appearance of not being so sensitive to such a thing.

The technician gave no sign she was affected by it all as she carefully took the kitten out of the cage and handled them into a carrier. She mumbled a few things to herself, something that Matt focused on in all the chaos of sound. Then she moved towards him, carrier in her hand.

“I recommend that when you bring her back in for a checkup and shots, to come without the costume,” She says light-heartedly. She handed the carrier over to him, keeping it steady so the kitten wouldn’t be sliding side to side. Much better than being swung around carelessly in a burlap sack.

“I’ll keep it in mind,’ Matt says quietly. He copied the same steady grip as her as he took the carrier, wanting to make sure he didn’t jostle the kitten. He heard a soft inquiring meow and tried so hard not to open up the carrier to hold them close to his chest.

“I have a list here for what you’ll need to buy tomorrow and how to feed her since she’s only five weeks old.” The technician said, leading back towards the waiting room. “For now, I have a bag of food you can use until she’s old enough for the kibble.”

“Thank you,” He says, listening to the rustle of the plastic bag. He also took that into his other hand when she handed over to him.

He stood for a moment, unsure of how he was supposed to say goodbye when the technician chuckled. “Don’t worry, you can always come back here to ask questions, dear. Just make sure it’s without the costume.”

“Yes, thank you,” Matt said, grateful for the out. She chuckled once more and waved a hand at him as he went for the door.

Matt walked the block in his costume before ducking into an alleyway to change. He stuffed the costume into the bag, hoping that enough of it wasn’t peeking out for anyone passing by to notice. Then he set for his apartment, making sure to keep the carrier steady.

At some point during this walk, the kitten started to make a few noises. Meows filled with what he assumed was fear of being transported in the dark to a new place. It went on long enough that he started to quietly talk to her.

“It’ll be alright, you’ll see,” He says, hoping his tone was comforting enough. Matt got a long and high pitched meow in reply as if she were trying to tell him it wouldn’t.

A huff of laughter and he said,” Don’t be like that. My apartment is a good place, you’ll see. Well at least more than I will.”

Another long drawn out meow and Matt just kept up the conversation, finding comfort in speaking with the kitten like this. It made walking back to his apartment go by much quicker and he even went up by stairs instead of the roof. The stairs creaked under his weight, giving away to all his neighbours that someone was up at a late hour and coming home.

Entering the apartment, he went for the kitchen table to set the carrier and bag down. Then through feeling out how to open it, Matt managed to get the door open. His first instinct was to reach his hand in and get them out, almost eager to show them around. Then he thought better of it, thinking about the tiny teeth and claws that would sink into his hands if he did that.

He didn’t need Foggy asking why he had tiny claw marks on his hand at work the next day.

So Matt sat down at a chair, waiting for the kitten to come out at her own time. He listened to the speeding heartbeat as she cautiously moved towards the opening of the carrier. With hesitation, she put a paw onto his table. Matt heard the sound of claws making contact with the wood of the table and waited to see if she would move onto it.

It only took her thirty seconds to make a decision and with more confidence moved the rest of her body out of the carrier. She sniffed the table, taking her time and Matt listened as her heart slowed down as she did this. Then he took the chance to move his hand towards her.

Not even a flinch away from on the oncoming hand, just accepting that Matt was lightly petting her now. After a few minutes, she started to purr again, content with the new living situation she had found herself in. The vibrations travelled through Matt’s palm and it took everything in him not to scoop her up into his arms. 

Then she moved to headbutt his hand, her head so small as she rubbed against his fingers and palm and it made Matt lean forward onto the table, his heart pinching at how easily adorable this small creature was.

“You don’t even know it, do you? That you’re cute.” He says quietly, continuing to pet her. She didn’t answer back in a meow, only an increase in the sound of her purring. “Kitten, kitten, what have you done to me?”

It was a half-hour later that the two of them were in Matt’s bed, her kneading his chest with her tiny paws. It didn’t hurt much to feel the sharp prickles of her claws, more soothed by the feeling of the light pressure of her paws that she had pressed against him. Then as he was drifting off to sleep, Matt felt them move to curl into a ball on his chest and quickly fall asleep like that. 

Warmth spread through his chest as he said,” Good night, kitten.”

_________

Matt woke to the sound of distressed cries from the kitten. He tilted his head to find where she was since she wasn’t on his chest and laying nowhere on the bed. After a few moments, he found that she was on the floor near the panelled walls. Getting up he heard her use her claws against the walls, lightly scratching it.

With a grimace, Matt moved to stand and went to pick her up. She made another sound that was less distressing and more demanding as he cradled her in his hands. Listening, he heard her stomach, empty and making sure she knew that. With a sigh, he knew he would have to ask a neighbour to help him read the list that the technician gave him last night.

Quickly, he pushed a button on the alarm clock to hear it announce that it was 6:37 am. With a sigh, he knew which of his neighbours he could speak to at this time. 

Without much delay, he carried the kitten in his arms, hearing her meow and squeak, demanding that he feed her. Matt ignored it, for the most part, answered back  _ ‘I know,’ _ when she gave a particularly loud and long meow as he went through the door. He made his way down the stairs to the floor below, trying to remember where Ms. Santos' door was.

He knocked and waited as he heard Ms. Santos makes her way from the kitchen to the door. When she opened up, he heard her pause as she saw him and the kitten. They must have made some site, a grown blind man holding a kitten barely big enough to fill out of his hands when he held them

Then she broke out of the haze, asking, “What can I do for you, Mr. Murdock?”

“I need someone to help me read the list the technician gave me last night. That won’t be too much trouble, right?” He asks, hoping she would help. “Kit’s just hungry and the vet tech said she wouldn’t be able to eat kibble yet.”

“No, it won’t Mr. Murdock.” Ms. Santos says, her voice warm. “Just let me get my slippers.”

Matt followed after her when she walked up the stairs, still spry even as she reached her mid-60’s. She started to speak to the kitten, almost as if she were a human child, using a tone that was amused by the little cries when the kitten answered back.

Once in his apartment, Matt showed her the list and listened as Ms. Santos spoke out loud how to feed the kitten for the next few weeks. He followed the instructions and then put it in front of the kitten to hear as she gobbled up the kibble in water. It was soft enough by soaking up the water for her to eat, even with the fast-paced gobbling and Matt was happy he knew what to do now.

“She’s going to be spoiled,” Ms. Santos said, speaking up after a few moments. 

“You think so?”

“I know so, Mr. Murdock. You give me a knock if you need help with them.”

“That’s kind of you, Ms. Santos,” Matt says, touched by the older woman’s offer to help in the future.

“It’s the neighbourly thing to do. Now you get ready and I’ll watch her.”

Matt did as he was told and he thanked Ms. Santos as he left the apartment. He heard through the door as she cooed at the kitten, calling her Kit.

Kit was a nice name, he thought to himself. And so he decided without much prompt that the kitten’s name was Kit.

Later at lunch, he got all that was needed for Kit and came home, setting everything up. Kit, excited that he was home, ran around his legs, meowing loudly as long as she could. Then he spent the rest of lunch holding her and letting her play with his fingers.

_________

“Why’re you smiling Matt?” Foggy asks a few days later, suspicion in his voice. He stood at the door to Matt’s office, obviously curious about why Matt was suddenly smiling.

Matt shrugged, still not ready to tell Foggy he had gotten a kitten. And that he was smiling due to remembering that last night he had found Kit on top of the fridge, somehow climbing up there on her own. 

She was meowing so loudly, obviously unhappy that she couldn’t get back down. The only way to console her was to get her down and let Kit play with his fingers despite how sharp her bite was.

“I’ll find out and you’ll be sorry,” Foggy said, teasing edging its way into his voice.

Matt smiled before saying,” Don’t think I will be, Fog.”

“It’s a new woman isn’t it?”

“You could say that,” Matt answers, cryptic.

Foggy groans, saying quickly how he hates when Matt ‘lawyers up’ with himself to avoid his questions.

“Not all secrets are bad, Foggy. At least not this one.”

“I’ll be the judge of that when you finally tell me.”

Matt didn’t reply, only smiled as he went back to reading up the laws for the case he’d taken on. He heard Foggy do the same as well, muttering for a few seconds about why he couldn’t just have friends who weren’t cryptic assholes. But Matt knew by the tone that it was fond, that he was fond of Matt. 

He smiled wider, knowing that Foggy would love Kit once he was able to meet her.

_________

Then Frank asked why he was suddenly less of an asshole that night after taking down gang members together. “What’s going on, Red?”

Matt sighed, not expecting Frank to pick up on such a detail. Especially after fighting off a group of gang members just five minutes after. He thought the former Marine would be glad for him not to preach about morals or whatever the man accused him of when they unexpectedly teamed up together. “Nothing, Frank. It’s nothing.”

“That’s not what Karen told me.”

“Karen likes to gossip about my life since I seemed to get into more trouble than her.”

“Quit trying to distract me Red, can’t pull your lawyer bullshit on me,” Frank says, stepping closer to Matt.

Matt lets out another sigh. “Don’t I know it,” He mumbles, remembering that day in court. Disastrous would be putting that whole situation with Frank mildly. “Let’s just say I had someone come into my life and they’ve made it decent, alright?”

“Didn’t figure you were willing to attach yourself to someone outside this life,” Frank said, confusion lightly coating his voice. Matt sensed another emotion in there, one that he couldn’t identify at that moment.

Smirking, he goes,” And I’m going to see them now. Bye Frank.”

And without letting Frank say another word, Matt climbs up to the platform in the warehouse and then slips out. 

When getting home, Kit was there to greet him at the bottom of the stairs from the roof access. She meowed at him as if she were asking where he’s been. He scoops her up in his arms and lets her smell and the beginning stages of purring wash over him.

_________

A few days after that conversation with Frank that Matt couldn’t find Kit when he came back to the apartment for lunch. She hadn’t run up to him nor made any of the usual sounds of demanding food from him when walking through the door. Even while listening for her small and speedy heartbeat, he couldn’t find her in the apartment.

Frowning, Matt expanded the range and still couldn’t find her. 

Panic started to grip his mind, wondering where Kit could be. She was so small and curious and could get into so much trouble with those two combined. Matt started to pace near the couch - starting to become her makeshift playground and a way to sharpen her claws even more as she learned to climb with finesse -, trying to figure out where a small kitten like her could be.

Maybe Ms. Santos had seen her. The older woman was around more often, taking care of Kit when a day at court was running longer than expected. Matt went to speak to her, hope and panic warring with each other as he went down the stairs.

A knock and she opened up. “What can I do for you, Matt?”

“I can’t find Kit anywhere in the apartment, did you happen to see her wandering outside it?” He says, hoping that she did. Maybe Kit had gotten herself outside his apartment and was exploring the building.

Ms. Santos paused for a moment, going through her memories as Matt waited eagerly for her reply. He wanted to know,  _ needed _ to.

“I didn’t, I’m sorry.” She said, truly sounding apologetic.

“Thank you for answering, Ms. Santos,” Matt said, trying desperately to not let the disappointment crush him. “I’ll ask around. Maybe call Foggy.”

“I hope you find her, such a sweet thing.”

“I do too.”

With that, Matt left still using his senses to try and find Kit. Maybe he should call Foggy, have someone around to keep Matt from spiralling off. With reluctance, Matt made the call, waiting as he heard through the speakerphone the dialling tone.

“Matt? What’s going on?” Foggy asks, confusion clear in his voice. “It’s still your lunch break, why are you calling?”

“I need your help with something,” He said, falling back on being vague. “Can you come to the apartment?”

“Does it have to do with your nighttime activities?” Matt could hear the sounds of traffic in the background as well as a few conversations. Which meant that Foggy was out for his lunch break and trying to be discreet.

“No, something different,” Matt said.   
  


“That woman you’re seeing?” Foggy asked, all hopeful.

“No, not that Fogs. Just get here as quickly as you can.” He says, not waiting for Foggy to answer as he hit End.

Matt paced for a bit, wondering where Kit could have gone, why she would have gone. Matt thought she was content enough to stay inside. That he wouldn’t have to worry about her wanting to go outside. He knew the chances of a young kitten surviving out in the city as an outdoor cat and he didn’t want to take those chances.

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration. He couldn’t go into action, too many variables were unknown to make a firm decision without worry. A few minutes passed as he continued to pace before he heard Foggy’s heartbeat coming into range.

He waited for Foggy to make his way to the door and knock before going to it. He opened it, sensing that Foggy didn’t like the sight of Matt currently.

“Alright, what’s this about Matt?”

“I’ve taken in a kitten recently and I can’t find her anywhere.”

“You adopted a...kitten?” Foggy questioned. “When did that happen and why a cat?”

“I’ll explain that later when we find her,” Matt said, leading him into the apartment. 

“I’m the best person to find a cat?”

“The best person to keep me calm.”

“Nice to know that,” Foggy said, touched. He put a hand on Matt’s shoulder, grounding him and his thoughts.” Alright did anyone describe what markings she had?”

“Technician said she was a calico, nothing beyond that.” Matt listened as Foggy heart sped for a moment, clearly liking that answer. “That’s good right?”

“Yeah, it is buddy. Means she’ll be easy to find.”

From there Foggy helped him around the apartment, searching in places that Matt hadn’t thought to check. It was a slow process, one that Matt was in favour of so that he could find Kit. 

Maybe he should care more that he was this attached to such a small creature - a voice that sounded similar to Stick's that kept saying  _ ‘It’s just a cat, Matty,’ _ \- but he didn’t care. She was his to take care of and he already failed to do that.

At some point during the process - forgetting they had actual jobs - Karen called Foggy when they were searching through the cupboards near the fridge. “Where are you?” Matt heard over the phone, her tone filled with annoyance.

“At Matt’s place.”

“Why? He hasn’t allowed anyone over for the last week.” Karen’s voice through the speaker of the phone sounded more amused, probably knowing that Matt could hear her. With affection, Matt rolled his eyes. “Is there a woman there? Are you actually meeting her before me?”

“Not a woman this time, Kar. Something even better.” Foggy said gleefully as he closed the second to last cupboard door. “You’re gonna want to see this.”

“I’ll be right over.” And with that, the call ended.

“You’re just happy with this aren’t you?” Matt said, smiling.

“Oh, I am buddy. Never took you for a cat person if I’m being honest.”

His smile grew wider. “Does everyone assume that all blind people like dogs?”

“I will partially admit it’s the image of guide dogs being with blind people,” Foggy says, looking through the last cupboard before moving onto the ones that were beneath the counters in the kitchen.” but mostly cuz’ you don’t seem like you would enjoy small animals when we were college roommates.”

“Alright, fair.” He said, “At least you admitted it.”

“Matt, we are lawyers,” Foggy moved onto the next cupboard, searching diligently.” but there are some things I just can’t lie about. Not even to you.”

“I’ll remember those words for a later time.” He says, tilting his head. There was a sound coming from the dryer that he’d never heard from it before. Moving away from Foggy, he went to investigate.

The closer he got to the dryer, the more clear the sound got. When opening the door to it, he heard a quiet, questioning  _ ‘mhrr?’.  _ Matt sighed, feeling relieved to have found her. Carefully he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She didn’t move much, still feeling sleepy.

“Matt, why’d you walk off?” He heard Foggy call out.

“I found her in the dryer,” He said in reply.

There were the sounds of Foggy’s footsteps. Then the man was next to him, looking down at Kit. As he gently started to pet her, feeling the start of her purring, Foggy spoke up. “She’s cute Matt. Like really cute. Even with animals you somehow find the cute ones.”

“Fog, aren’t all kittens cute?” He asked, amused.

“I know you’ve blind since childhood and haven't seen recent treads with some cats, but not all of them are cute. Sphynx cats look like tiny goblins willing to live with you as long as you worship it.” Matt smiled at the dramatic statements, still petting Kit.

“Well, Kit’s cute to me, that’s all that matters.”

“God, you went with the first thing, didn’t you?”

“Caught me again.”

Then there was the sound of the door opening and closing. Karen’s voice drifted through the apartment as she walked into the living area. “Where is the secret that Matt’s been hiding from us?”

“It’s in his arms!” Foggy yelled. Her steps became quicker as she found them by his washer and dryer.

When seeing Kit in his arms, she let out a sound - one that suggested that she was seeing something adorable - and quickly joined the two of them. “This is what you’ve been hiding from us? A kitten?”

“Yes,” He answered simply. Kit was more awake now and was looking between Foggy and Karen as if she were curious as to why two strangers were in her home and crowding Matt. “Karen, this is Kit.”

“Went with the first name?” She asked. Matt knew there was a smirk on her face.

‘Yes,” He answered again. “I did.”

Both her and Fogy chuckled and then proceeded to ask questions after that. They eventually moved into the living room where they spent the afternoon talking and playing with Kit. Nobody returned to the office for which Matt was glad for. He didn’t want to be separated from Kit for a while after what happened - even if she never did leave his home.

They got take out, ate together and then went their separate ways when Karen said it was close to ten o’clock at night. Matt sat on the couch, listening as his friends went down the stairs and left the building. After a certain point, Matt just stopped listening, focusing on Kit as she laid on his stomach. She had been there for a while, content to doze in a ball where it was warmest. He let the light sound of Kit purring wash over his senses, finding it comforting.

“Guess I need to set up a proper bed after today,” He said tiredly. Kit didn’t reply, only stretched out from being a ball over his stomach. “Cute, simply cute.”

He let this go on for a bit longer and then got up to go to bed. He put her on the floor, letting her stretch her muscles as he got ready for bed. Daredevil wasn’t needed tonight, only Matt.

It would come to bite him to take one night off, but Matt knew he couldn’t bear to be away from Kit tonight. Not after the panic, he experienced today when he thought he lost her.

After brushing his teeth and changing into his boxers, Matt slipped into bed. He heard Kit climbing up the bed, her claws digging into the silk sheets to join him. Matt winced, knowing she would soon get the brilliant idea to sharpen her claws on the bed - the sheets being a victim as a side effect of that happening.

But he would sort that out when it came time. For now, he was going drift off to sleep with Kit sleeping on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Here's chapter two! 
> 
> I got really excited to do this part which is probably as long as it is lol. But who could blame me? Anyway, I wanted to say that for the last leg of the chapter, I based on what happened to my aunt when she first got her cats years ago. She thought she lost them and was looking all over for them for hours when the two of them were sleeping in her dryer, warm and snuggly the whole time. It wasn't funny to her at the time, but now my aunt tells the story fondly since it was a hilarious conclusion to a stressful situation.
> 
> Also, I really enjoyed writing everyone going," Matt why are you smiling, tell me what is going on!?!" when he was happy about the kitten lol. 
> 
> The kitten's name being Kit? Just the cutest, I adore it and I thank my friend for suggesting that to me when I was looking for names.
> 
> Hopefully, it was a fun chapter to read! :D


	3. It Was Not a Woman, But a Kitten!

Frank wasn’t expecting the night to turn out as it did. He expected Red to show up - since Frank had tracked a gang back to Hell’s Kitchen and couldn’t avoid the man even if he tried - and had expected that they would take down the gang members together once Red did show up. However, the night took a turn when Frank was focused on one group, taking them out by shooting them in their kneecaps and taking his eyes off Red for a few moments to make sure the shots didn’t stray.

It wouldn’t do him any good to suddenly have a billy club smack him in the face because he shot just a bit higher than what they agreed on.

Where it went was wrong was when Frank took his eyes off of Red for a moment. It was only a single moment to line up the shot and as he took it, he looked over to see that Red was surrounded - still fighting, always fighting like he couldn’t dare take a moment to pause, similar to what his Nana would kindly refer it to as _‘il fottuto Diavolo in lotta per la sua anima, Frankie,’_ whenever she saw him fighting the older neighbourhood kids - and wasn’t able to stop the bullet that entered through his torso since he refused to wear the red costume with the bullet-proof material. Nor the next one or the one after that, all of them pierced through the black clothing that Red insisted on wearing.

Frank, uncaring about the deal between them after seeing that, shot the rest of the gang in the head. He didn’t give a crap that Red would complain, he had a man who was compromised and he wasn’t about to honour a deal that would slow his response time.

Time was precious, always precious and made the difference between a man staying alive and man staying dead.

The last one shot hit its target and Frank moved to over the railing. It was a dumb move since it was quite the fall and his knees weren’t like they use to be. But Frank knew by now that he was never quite rational when it came to the people he cared about. Especially Red - when the man decided his body was worth sacrificing to get to the goal of taking down these shitbag criminals.

He took the precaution of rolling when landing, feeling grateful he had enough brains to do that. Standing up, Frank moved towards Red, taking in the sight of the other man as he leaned against one of the crates. Frank knew that the man was bleeding with the way he was cradling his side and torso and that he didn’t want Frank to know with the way he tried to angle it away from Frank’s sight. As if Frank couldn’t see the blood-soaked material and the stiff posture. As if he expected Frank to just leave the moment the fight was done.

Maybe he believed that, but Frank wasn’t going to let him get away that easily.

“Hey!” He said, watching as Red’s head snapped to attention to his voice. Red did that thing where he tilted his head, similar to a dog or cat listening to sounds off in the far distance. “You’re bleeding.”

“Astounding observational skills, Frank,” Red gritted out, his fingers tightening on the wounds as he spoke.

“Quit the crap, Red, you need someone to take a look at that.”

There was knowing smirk on Red’s face like he was in on some joke that he couldn’t tell Frank. “I’m fine, Frank.”

“Says the man with three bullet holes in his torso,” Frank said, sarcasm thick as molasses. “Let me take a look at that Red.”

The smirk disappeared, head tilting one side - this time not due to listening to anything. Frank watched, waiting for the man to come to the right decision on his own. Red had to see that Frank was worried, wanted to make sure he was patched up for the next night to fight off criminals. That his new lady only saw the stitches and scars instead of the bloody mess that stood in front of Frank.

Finally, after a minute, a sigh from Red which meant it was a win for Frank. “Alright, Frank, you can patch me up. Just make sure you leave my apartment afterwards.”

“What makes you think I’m taking you to your apartment? Thought you wanted to keep your identity a secret?” Frank questioned, stepping towards Red. Red didn’t move away, letting Frank touch him. He moved his hand away from his wounds for a moment for Frank to see how severe they were.

As that happened, Red answered him. “I have someone waiting for me there and I can’t keep them waiting.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

A smirk spread across Red’s lips, giving him the appearance of the moniker that the papers gave him after taking Fisk down, _‘The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’,_ once more in on the joke that Frank didn’t understand. Nana’s words came to mind,’ _il fottuto Diavolo in lotta per la sua anima,’_ as he stared at that smirk, wondering if Red knew how much he looked like the Devil despite preaching about second chances.

It made Frank realize he never had a chance. Never stood a chance against Red ever since they fought the first time, their first argued about ideals, the first time Frank decided to be the smart one out of two of them and push Red over the side of the boat. He just plain never stood a chance and never realized it until that smirk was directed towards him.

“Either Frank. Just take me back so you can make sure I don’t bleed out on your watch.”

“Fine, choir boy.”

The smirk continued to stay, amused by his words despite the fact that Frank couldn't see his eyes through the black mask. (Honestly, he didn't know how Red saw out it either, it was black and thick, covering up something vital.) “Never was a choir boy, Frank.”

“I’ll believe it when you quit acting like it, Red.” That earned him a small bit of laughter, deep and flowing free. Something that he had never seen from the other man before.

It was nice. Similar to seeing Maria smile brightly when he would sing their song when he was on leave. The way she would glow as she watched him, continuing to smile despite telling him how corny it was after he had finished. And yet he knew she loved it, kept doing it to see her smile again.

That particular thought made his heart clench, knowing what it meant. What he was willing to do to get Red laughing like that again. Even if he knew that there was someone else in the man’s life.

Frank was a particular kind of mess when it came to loving other people. Only Maria knew and he knew that Red could never know. Should never know.

A breath in and he silently tore off a piece of his shirt for Red to press against his wounds, to make sure he wouldn’t bleed out on the way to his apartment. Frank led Red towards his van, making sure that the wounds had pressure on them as this happened. Red kept tilting his head as they got in the van as if he were listening for anything that might stop them from leaving the scene.

He waited for Red to speak as he turned on the engine. He had given Red enough respect to not follow him home, to find out where he lived - even with how easy it would track the man that parkoured at night in a ten-block radius in New York. Tapping his fingers against the wheel, he listened as Red gave him the address and then drove through the city, 80’s music playing lowly through the speakers.

_________

Frank managed to convince Red to walk up the stairs like a normal person instead of climbing up the fire escape like an alley cat.

“It’ll only aggravate the wound, Red.” He says, looking the other man down. He couldn’t see the other’s eyes with the thick black cloth over their face, but Red’s lips were expressive enough for him to read his moods.

There was a look of displeasure on Red’s face at that statement, lips curling the slightest as if he were about to snarl out his answer. But it took him tilting his head, listening to a far off sound for him to relent after a moment. Frank opened the door and waited for Red to get out before locking the van. Then they went into the building with Red leaning against Frank.

Frank controlled his reaction to this, far more focused on making sure Red was alright than the fact that the other man was leaning against him like lovers would. If Maria were here, she would whisper teases in his ear, telling him he was such a predictable lovesick fool as she watched him fumble around Red.

A breath in and a breath out at that thought. Then he led Red up the stairs, making sure he kept his footsteps quiet as he guided the other man up. The building was an older one, filled with more creaks and groans when something was disturbed. On the second to last floor, Red paused which caused Frank to pause as well. Then after a moment, he pulled his mask off, revealing his face to Frank.

Frank didn’t have time to admire the man before him - or curse him since that was his goddamn lawyer! - before Red leaned even more into his side, covering the wound. Suddenly before Frank's eyes, Red went from a vigilante to someone softer, more open as he pressed a kiss to Frank’s jaw. As if they were lovers still shy to show their affection in public.

Frank barely heard the older woman’s voice inquiring about them as his mind went into overdrive over the fact that Red kissed him. It was a simple peck, sure, but it was enough for him to feel the other man’s lips on his skin.

He came back to the moment when Red jostled him slightly, blinking slowly. He looked to see an older woman in her bathrobe, staring at him expectantly. “Pete Castiglione, ma’am,” He says, hoping that she asked for his name. “Pleasure to meet you,” He holds out a hand to shake hers.

There was a knowing smile on her face as she said,” Nice to you meet you, Mr. Castiglione. Make sure he gets to bed, alright? Kit has been worried for the last few hours.”

“I will ma’am. You have a good night.” Frank said. He watched as she turned away, smiling in the way older women smiled when they knew a secret he didn’t. His Ma and Nana would often share it together when he was growing up and it always left him a bit confused.

“What was all that about, Red?” He asks in a whisper, once she closes the door to her apartment. “What the fuck is my lawyer doing fighting crime?”

Murdock, blank gaze staring where the older woman was. He had dropped the act of being a normal blind man, sagging into Frank. “Not now, Frank. Just get my wounds stitched up and be on your way.”

“Nah, I don’t think so. You’ve got some questions to answer.” He didn’t let Murdock answer, just made him move along to the last floor.

Soon they were in the apartment and as Frank moved him to sit on the couch there was the light sound coming across the wood floor. He didn’t even have to look up as a tiny calico kitten climbed up the furniture and settled onto Murdock’s lap, meowing up a storm. As if Murdock was gone for days instead of hours.

The look on Murdock’s face was soft, softer than anything he’d ever seen from the man. He moved his arms to cradle the kitten and leaned in to press his face against their small body. “You missed me, huh?”

An answering meow, long and loud. It got a chuckle out of Murdock, holding them closer. “I missed you too.”

Frank didn’t say a word, only went to get the first aid from the bathroom. He came back to the sight of Murdock closely holding the kitten, the look of awe as they purred in his arms. He made his way over to the couch, only speaking to tell Murdock to take off his sweatshirt and that this would hurt.

Murdock didn't struggle with taking his sweatshirt off, most likely ignoring the pain to function. "I'm going to take the bullets out," Was all he said before he set to work, using tweezers to dig beneath Murdock's skin and search for the first of three bullets. 

He didn’t watch as Murdock shifted the kitten to the arm opposite the wound, didn’t watch as the man would ‘stare’ down at him nor watch him clenching his hand on the back of the couch when the pain - both from the wound and from Frank digging around - would momentarily take over his body.

He did however listen to Murdock speak to the kitten, narrating what happened to him tonight and what Frank was doing to him currently. As if it were a habit now to tell the small creature about his day. Frank, secretly endeared since it reminded him of when he would listen to his kids talk about their day to him. Some of the details were lost to time and the shot to his head, but he would always remember their excitement on their faces.

He couldn’t forget any of that, grief still hooking itself to his heart and mind in the quieter moments when he wasn't experiencing spikes of adrenaline or a singular focus on the mission. It reminded him that before his new normal, he had something that was close to normal as it could get. A wife, two kids, a house in a nice neighbourhood and a job he was mostly proud of. (The last leg where he was with Agent Orange, that was what tainted it, what caused the demise of his family, his old normal.)

When he was done with the last stitch, he moved to bandage them, remembering Curtis’s words about how to do this when the man got fed up with Frank showing up in the middle of the night. He finally looked up to see the glassy brown eyes to looking down at his form, only an inch or so off from where Frank was actually kneeling.

“What do you want, Red?” He asked, suddenly realizing he was physically tired.

“Just listening as you work,” Murdock answered. “Kit fell asleep.”

“That your new special someone?”

A smile, small as it was came onto Red’s face. “Yeah, rescued her from being drowned a few weeks ago.”

“Kittens in a sack?” The last of the bandages were put on and Frank stood up. His knees protested against that action, cracking as he stood since he kneeled on them for so long.

“Yeah. The rest died, but she was the only one to fight for her life.” Red said, awe in his voice. Like he was proud of the fact that his kitten fought to live for her life.

Considering who the man was at both his day and night jobs, it shouldn’t surprise Frank.

“Only you would find a kitten with the same fighting spirit as you,” He says quietly. Red quietly laughed at that, the sound going straight to Frank’s heart at how soft it sounded. Then he held out a hand, figuring that Red could sense where it was since he fought crime. There had to be something going on there more than some heightened senses.

Red took it, letting Frank lead him to his room. He still held Kit close to his body and only put her down when he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Frank watched as she looked towards Red for a moment, before settling into her spot to sleep some more.

Frank went to turn, to leave when Red caught his wrist. “Stay Frank.”

“Why?”

A smile, filled with a knowing edge to it that made Frank feel as if he were being inspected by the other man. “I want you to stay, simple as that.”

“What are you trying to pull, Red?”

“Nothing Frank,” Red said with a sigh. Then he tugged Frank closer and placed a kiss on Frank’s wrist. “Maybe I just want you to stay because I want you to. Was it ever this complicated with your wife?”

Frank had to hold a breath, remembering how Maria was the one to lead him, get him to open up to her. She was the only one to learn who he was as a person and didn’t flinch away. She was the only one until Red came in and tried to stop him from killing criminals with a thousand and one reasons to consider second chances.

She would have approved of Matt Murdock if she had the chance to ever meet the man. She always said that he needed someone else to help him consider stuff, even if he wasn't going to actually follow it. 

He remembered the way she said it, so certain about that statement when she told him. Maybe she saw something about him that he never could see or understand. She always had this way of seeing a person down to their bare bones that was eerily frightening when she was asked for her opinion. 

There was a reason none of the other military wives never messed with her when it came to their petty drama.

“No, she just always knew what to do. Gonna try to live up to that, Red?”

The smile turned into a smirk, the one he always wore as Daredevil and Frank knew he couldn’t leave, wouldn’t ever try to leave this man. “I’ll try. How about we sleep with each other for tonight?”

“Yeah Red, I can do that.”

With that, they arranged themselves on Red’s bed, disturbing Kit a few times in the process. By the time they settled down in a position where they could cuddle each other if they wanted to, she was giving the meanest look a kitten her size could give. But she seemed to forgive easily when Red gave her a few pets on her back. She settled between them, purring like a jet engine as she curled into a tight ball.

She was the first to fall asleep. Red was second, only minutes behind his kitten, extremely tired from the fight and his injuries tonight. Frank slowly drifted sleep after that point, hoping that Red would still feel the same in the morning.

_________

Frank wakes to the morning light making its way across the bed. He shifts, noticing a bit of weight on his chest. He looks to see that Kit had moved to sleep on him, looking like the Sphynx as she soaked up the sunlight. He lightly petted her back, watched as she cracked open a blue eye to see it was him doing that.

At some point during all of this, Kit started to purr. It wasn’t as loud as she was last night with Red, but Frank knew she had to like him since she was laying on his chest. It appeared that she approved of him to be with her owner and was trying to warm up to him.

Without much hesitation, he booped her nose and chuckled when he saw her giving him the stink eye when looking her in the eye. But she continued to purr and Frank took that as a sign that she still liked him.

He closed his eyes, letting the soft sound of Red still sleeping at his side and Kit purring wash over him as the ever reaching sunlight kept them all warm for the little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> il fottuto Diavolo in lotta per la sua anima, Frankie - The fucking Devil fighting for his soul, Frankie
> 
> The last chapter! Hopefully, it was a fun little fic, I know I had fun! I liked the pov switch for this chapter, mostly cause I wanted Frank to see Matt being cute with Kit and I wanted Frank to have a moment with KIt as well. Plus I was so here to write some Frank over Matt because I can't be stopped when I'm on a roll lol. 
> 
> Also, I want to say if my Italian translation is off or wrong, please tell me since I used google translate and I know that ain't accurate all the time. I just wanted something from Frank's past to come up in a semi amusing away.
> 
> Hopefully, it was a fun chapter to read! :D


End file.
